Miss Don't Touch Me

Miss Don't Touch Me
by Hubert & Kerascoet
ISBN: 978-1561635443

There's something we don't have a lot of in America, and that's graphic novels like this one. It's adult, and a fun read. It's not deep, it's not earth shattering, but it reads like a mystery novel/drama made into a comic book. Everything you need to know about the book is on the back of it 1) For Mature Audiences and 2) a brief summary of the plot.

To sum: To sum up the story, a girl's sister gets murdered by a serial killer and it was made to look like a suicide. The girl starts investigating and follows the trail to a high end brothel, where she takes a job. Since she's worried about her virtue, she takes a job as Miss Don't Touch Me - an English Governess persona, which is basically a dominatrix. Set in 1930's Paris, there are scenes of semi naked women, and there's some violence as well.

Things to watch out for: Patrons that just flip through this without understanding what they are looking at are going to see scenes from life in a brothel. Complete with mostly naked customers, women in skimpy outfits, as well as violence. It is stylized, but if they are going to just point at one panel and object, there are ones in here that they may do it to.

Should I have it in a library: Overall, this is a rare sort of graphic novel. It's a translation from a French work, so the standards are slightly different. But what really sets it apart is the fact that it's not trying to blow your mind with deep messages; it's not making political statements; it's not heavy with symbolism. It's a story about a girl trying to solve a murder, and adapting to life in a brothel. It's fluff, and fun at that. A quick read with a great feel for the era it's in.

Who would like this: Well, it's not a typical graphic novel. It's part murder mystery, part intrigue, part enjoyable, "fun crap" (as one review puts it, and I agree). Give it to people who have read some graphic novels, but are tired of the superhero genre, or the heavy stuff.

How I can to learn of it: I learned of it through Booklist, which recommended it.

Other reviews of it:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/01/25/review-miss-dont-touch-me/
http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2009/02/27/miss-dont-touch-me/
http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/01/graphic_novel_review_miss_do_n.html
http://highlowcomics.blogspot.com/2009/02/baser-instincts-miss-dont-touch-me.html
http://www.grovel.org.uk/miss-dont-touch-me/
http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/03/09/nbm-releases-little-nothings-2-miss-dont-touch-me-why-i-killed-peter-first-time/
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/03/robot-reviews-miss-dont-touch-me/